16 hours Ago By JACKSON KIMBALL [email protected]
Thursday was the first day county officials could file their oath of candidacy forms with the Ravalli County elections office for the November 2025 election. At 8 a.m.
on the morning of April 17, Hamilton City Council members Kristi Bielski and Rod Pogachar and City of Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf officially declared for office at the Ravalli County election office. Out of the many local officials up for term renewal, Hamilton’s mayor and three of the Hamilton City Council members, Pogachar, Bielski and Darwin Ernst are nearing the end of their four-year terms, and by filing an oath of candidacy are eligible for the 2025 election on Nov. 4.
Council members Kristi Bielski and Rod Pogachar filed their oaths of candidacy alongside Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf at the Ravalli County election's office at 8 a.m. on April 17.
On Thursday morning, council members Bielski and Pogachar told the Ravalli Republic that they were hoping to continue to make a positive impact on the local community by running for reelection. “I’m just really proud of what the council’s done and the impact we’ve had,” Bielski said. In a prewritten statement Farrenkopf shared with the Republic, he said that he was “looking forward to continuing his role as mayor.
” “I have enjoyed serving the City of Hamilton the last seven years,” read the statement. “I am looking forward to continuing to serve the Hamilton community in my public office role as mayor. We have accomplished many great things in my time as the mayor, and I am looking forward to continuing to work hard and provide excellent municipal services to the citizens of Hamilton.
” Council member Ernst was not at the elections office Thursday morning but told the Republic on Friday that he was planning on filing as soon as he could. Sam Bragg was sworn in as acting council member for Ward 2 at the Stevensville town council meeting on April 17. Bragg was elected by the council to temporarily replace previous Ward 2 council member Isaiah Nelson, who resigned on March 13.
The filing fee for Hamilton City Council members is $126, while the mayor’s filing fee is $242. The fees for Stevensville are $180 for the mayor and $15 for council members. Filing fees in Darby are $36 for a two-year mayor term and $15 for council members.
Other municipal positions up for reelection in 2025 include Stevensville town council members Stacie Barker from Ward 1, Cynthia Brown from Ward 2, Mayor Bob Michalson and newly appointed Ward 2 council member Sam Bragg. Bragg was sworn into Stevensville town council at their meeting on April 17. She was elected by the council to temporarily replace previous Ward 2 council member Isaiah Nelson, who resigned on March 13.
While Brown said she would not be running for reelection at the end of her term, Barker and Michalson both told the Ravalli Republic they do plan on running. Michalson, who said he filed Thursday morning, told the Republic he was running again to continue addressing ongoing issues left in the wake of last May’s snowstorm as well as improving the town’s aging infrastructure. “I feel there’s more work to be done with our leaks, streets and infrastructure,” Michalson said.
“Also, I have been here since the dinosaurs so it makes sense to stick around.” Barker said she had not filed yet, but that she wanted to stay on the council to complete some of the projects she helped initiate. “I’ve seen a lot of projects brought forward that we’ve actually progressed as a council,” Barker said.
“I’d like to see those kinds of projects continue. I feel it’s a commitment to the town..
. it’s a service I like to do for the community.” Darby Mayor Nancy McKinney and town council member Mark Wohl from Ward 1 as well as Nate Robbins and Donna Rennaker from Ward 2 will also be at the end of their terms in 2025.
The Republic did not receive answers back from Darby mayor or council members regarding who would be filing for candidacy by press time..
